


hell was the journey but it brought me heaven

by ryanwolfe



Category: CSI: Miami, Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Future Fic, M/M, Mentions of BAU Team - Freeform, Mutual Pining, Pining, Post-CSI: Miami, Undercover, mentions of csi: miami team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:47:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25958518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryanwolfe/pseuds/ryanwolfe
Summary: He doesn’t need to know, to see his face, Ryan would recognize that voice anywhere by now. It’s very hard to forget Eric Delko, despite the horrible lasting impression he had on Ryan, he was very good at his job and took it pretty serious.au where ryan wolfe meets fbi agent luke alvez years later at the same crime scene
Relationships: Eric Delko/Ryan Wolfe, Luke Alvez/Ryan Wolfe
Kudos: 23





	hell was the journey but it brought me heaven

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr — [@brandtwilliam](https://brandtwilliam.tumblr.com/)
> 
> the longest fic i’ve ever written, span over three days of figuring out backstories and minimal details, hope you enjoy!
> 
> (// = time skip)

Ryan’s just about ready to inhale his second cup of coffee for the day, seated in his office, piles of files stacked on his desk, ready to be looked over, when his phone rings in his pocket.

The movement causes his coffee cup to sway in his hand, coming dangerously close to spill all over the paperwork neatly placed on the table.

He sighs in relief when the cup stills and he reaches in to grab his pocket, answering the call.

“Hello? Yes, this is Detective Ryan Wolfe, head supervisor of the Washington, D.C. crime lab. What do you need?” He patiently listens, taking a sip of his coffee and peeking at the clock hung on the wall. “You said FBI’s gonna be on the crime scene at 2? Okay, I’ll meet them there, thank you.”

He hangs up, leaning back into his chair and swinging his feet up onto his desk. his hand comes up to to pinch at the skin between his eyes, inhaling sharply. Any news about the FBI meant a busy work day, all his CSIs pushed to the edge of the brink, moving fast to process evidence. The FBI always meant having to adjust to their schedules, their routines, and it meant overtime for everyone at the lab.

As if on cue, a knock on the door brings Ryan back to reality and he steels himself, subtle shifting into work mode. _Time to be the boss again_ , is his last thought before he calls in whoever’s at the door to come in.

//

At a quarter to two, Ryan hauls his ass out of his office, out of the lab as he shuffles into his SVU, driving over to the precinct. He was ordered this morning to go meet with the police captain and the BAU, the FBI unit sent in to help solve this particular gruesome case.

Ten years of working in Washington, D.C., slowly moving up the ranks as the new guy in the lab to now the head of it, and Ryan still hates attending meetings like this.

He hops out of the car when he arrives, shouldering his way into the building when he spots a flash of something familiar, but it’s gone by the time he realizes it. Ryan shakes it off, ducking the other way through the bullpen towards the captain’s office.

Fifteen minutes later, he’s sent out, instructed to head to the crime scene, and to meet two assigned FBI agents there to go over everything.

He’s making his way to the car, too distracted with text messages flooding his phone from his employees that he doesn’t see someone familiar in the conference room when Ryan passes by. The stranger doesn’t seem to notice either, too busy strategizing with his colleagues over the case.

//

Ryan stops by the lab at first, checking up on his CSIs and the progress of the cases they’re handling before driving out to the crime scene.

He parks off to the side, grabbing his kit out of the trunk and shoving a pair of gloves in his jacket pocket. Hs third cup of coffee in hand, Ryan slips under the tape sectioning off the crime scene and jogs over where two men are hovering over a covered body.

He’s taken aback when one of them speak up and he freezes up when he registers that voice, one that plays on a loop when his mind flashes back to Miami.

Ryan had left Miami, left the team after the nail gun incident. There was a high likely chance that he could have been blinded, slowly losing vision in his left eye, had it been lodged a few inches to the center. If he had kept working after it was pulled out, his eye would have been infected and he would have become blind.

Thankfully, he had gone to the doctor’s in time and gotten surgery to correct the wound. But he still made the decision of leaving, it just wasn’t the right fit for him. most of his co-workers still tolerated him, due to the situation that happened when he was hired. Tim Speedle still was a big presence in the lab, and nothing Ryan could do would stop the comparisons between the two.

He moved back home, to Boston and returned to being a cop, eventually being promoted to detective. His police captain had brought him into the office, three months into his promotion, offering him an opportunity of being a CSI again. There was a position open in the Washington, D.C. lab, and the head was a close friend of his captain’s. Despite hesitation and fear, Ryan had decided to do an interview and see where it would go. A month later, he was hired and settled into his new job.

He slowly moved up the ranks and he started to feel comfortable in his new job environment. It wasn’t like Miami at all, no one was resenting him for replacing their previous colleague, he wasn’t getting grieve from police officers for switching sides, and he was more confidence in his job than before.

Ryan was promoted to assistant supervisor and later on, head of the crime lab, a job that he was giving his all.

He still does occasionally keep in touch with his old team from Miami. Horatio was still holding up the fort as the head, though he didn’t go out in the field as much anymore. Calleigh was the same, though she now had two children she had adopted and cherished wholeheartedly. Alexx had moved from the crime lab to the hospital, enjoying her job and still worried about him. He and Natalia were never close during his time at the lab, but he had heard she was an undercover FBI agent and later joined the team. The only person he never heard from again was Eric, though Ryan isn’t surprised by that at all.

Eric was the one person who never warmed up to Ryan, though he doesn’t blame Eric at all, he and speed were very close. But while the rest of the team slowly began to shift room to let Ryan in, eric didn’t seem to budge one bit. The only time Eric had seemed human to Ryan, when he let down his guard and his walls came down, was when the nail gun incident had happened.

Ryan only remembers bits and pieces of that whole situation, memories flashing between jolts of pain and panic. Eric had found him, practically shoving him into the car, driving in a rush to the hospital. during that drive, Ryan remembers panic and fear in Eric’s face, shouting for Ryan to stay awake and keeping him from pulling that nail out of his eye, which would have made the wound even worse.

Eric had even stayed with him afterwards, keeping vigil as the doctors did their work, only leaving after Horatio had all but ordered him to get back to work.

But then it all faded away and Eric had gone back to distant and cold. Even when Ryan had revealed that he was quitting and moving away, Eric hadn’t decided to say goodbye, just disappearing.

Ryan doesn’t know what happened, but a short time after he had left, Calleigh had called up and informed him that Eric had abruptly quit and disappeared from thin air. no one heard from him and no one could find him. There was only a message left, that the team shouldn’t go looking for him, to leave him alone. Ryan doesn’t understand what changed, but now Eric Delko lives in his past memories and the dreams he has only in the late nights where he’s lonely, wondering about what ifs.

Well until now, until that voice floats into his ear, over a thousand miles away from miami, at the same crime scene. _There’s no such thing as a confidence_ , a voice that suspiciously sounds like Horatio pipes up in his head.

Ryan gets a hold of himself and takes a deep breath in, trying to gain courage. he clears his throat and watches as the two men whip around, facing him.

He doesn’t need to know, to see his face, Ryan would recognize that voice anywhere by now. It’s very hard to forget Eric Delko, despite the horrible lasting impression he had on Ryan, he was very good at his job and took it pretty serious.

Eric looks just as shocked to see Ryan and a little part of him takes joy in it, because it seems both of them are affected by this.

Ryan turns to the other man, tall with a big build, asian, and offers his hand to shake. “I’m Ryan Wolfe, head of the crime lab, and you must be the FBI agents, correct?” His eyes sweep past both of them, zeroing in on the crime scene, already mentally cataloging what needs to be processed as evidence.

The man has a firm handshake when he introduces himself. “Agent Simmons,” then he jerks his thumb over to Eric. “And this is Agent Alvez, can you tell us about the other crime scenes?”

Ryan registers the question but his mind is trying to process what Agent Simmons has just said. Agent Alvez, he means Eric, but why is he known as a different name?

He forces himself to stop and focus on the work, so he steps between the men, eyes tracking the scene as he begins explaining to Agent Simmons about the past crime scenes already processed. Ryan definitely doesn’t think about his shoulder brushing against Eric’s and not about how Eric looked at him, recognition wide in his eyes and something else that’s gone too quick for Ryan to grasp at.

he directs all his attention to Agent Simmons, only sneaking quick glances at Eric and by the time he’s done explaining, his CSIs are on the field, halfway through canvassing the scene.

He parts his way with them, planning to head back to the car and ending the day with drowning himself in alcohol when he hears it. The light pitter patter of footsteps trailing after him and he squares his shoulders, ready for the confrontation that’s sure to follow.

Eric steps into view, cutting him off from the path to his car, determination set in his face, his jawline tense, shock fading away from being face with his past.

But Ryan is tired and he doesn’t have time for this, he really doesn’t want to do this. So he attempts to sidestep and results in a hand tightly wrapping around his upper arm and spinning him around to face Eric head on.

The shock of being man-handled hits Ryan first, but then he realizes that it’s caused them to be in close proximity, much closer than Ryan can take and he jerks out of Eric’s grasp. Anger and rage simmers within him as he shoves Eric back, causing him to stumble because he didn’t expect that.

He takes a good look at Eric, having avoided looking at him earlier. He looks different, it has been years since they last saw each other. Eric looks more rugged, scruffy, stubble lining his jaw, his hair more natural, curlier, more muscle on him. Ryan could feel like under his hands, when he shoved Eric and he swallows roughly. He needs to stop thinking before he does something he regrets.

The problem Ryan is having stems from years ago. He had done the one thing that he shouldn’t have and he still berates himself to this day about it. He thought he had moved past it, seeing as it had been years since he last saw Eric and nobody’s heard from him since. But laying his eyes on him again, Ryan is faced with the inevitable. He still have feelings for Eric.

Years of pent up feelings and late lonely nights pining rise to the surface and Ryan has to look away, has to leave, because he doesn’t have time for this.

He has multiple employees probably looking for him, for some direction for cases. he has stacks upon stacks of paperwork to review and sign off on. Ryan is the boss now and he doesn’t have time to confront his ongoing feelings for his old co-worker who had disappeared years ago and now shows up at his work under a new employment and name.

Ryan is furious, stomping quickly at his car, not even giving Eric any thought as the man jogs after him, having gained his composure from the initial shock of Ryan’s unexpected assault.

He’s once again out of his element when Ryan folds himself in the car, slamming his door shut. He turns on the car, opens his window and shoves a business card at Eric’s chest.

“Listen, I don’t have time for any of this shit. Call me when you’re done for the night and we’ll meet up.” That’s all Ryan hisses before he’s closing his window again.

Eric blinks, at a loss for words and steps away, letting Ryan drive off.

The last thought to wander his mind is, _‘what the fuck was that about’_ before Luke slowly makes his way back to the crime scene and has to face Matt and his never ending questions.

//

The rest of the day is spent in a daze, but Luke is a professional and forces himself to focus on working the case. It seems he doesn’t have as much of a good poker face because the rest of the team alternates between sending him inquisitive looks and throwing around theories on the UNSUB. Even Garcia takes pity on him, not tossing in an insult when she’s informing the team on her findings.

Once Prentiss calls it a day and sends off the rest of the team to the hotel, Luke finds himself thumbing that wretched business card, running his finger over the words, Ryan Wolfe, again and again. He’s locked himself in his hotel room, his heartbeat racing as he tries to convince himself to just call Ryan.

But panic is spreading through his body and it doesn’t help that Ryan seemed outraged to see him when he flashes back to earlier.

Seeing Ryan has brought up a lot of bad memories to the surface, various emotions bubbling within him when he thinks back to the time he spent in Miami.

It was an undercover case, one of the first few ones he had done. Fresh out of the academy, Luke was sent to Miami to go under as a CSI to watch over the Mala Noche gang and report back to the FBI. It was just a routine assignment, observation and he had the chemistry knowledge to back up his cover.

What he thought it was going to be certainly wasn’t what he got.

He went in as Eric Delko, a specialist in fingerprint and drug identification, along with being an underwater recovery expert, hoping to get eyes and ears on Mala Noche. He didn’t expect to go under so long or to be affected by the people he was working with.

Horatio, Calleigh and Alexx were great, he had built long last relationships with them, at work and in his personal life. but Speed, he had gotten under Luke’s skin.

Speed had been the only person outside of the agency that Luke had told about his true identity and agenda. He had been the one to help with his assignment and trusted him fully with who he really was.

It was hard when he died, Luke had placed the blame on himself for a while, for many different reasons. the big glaring one had been, did Luke get him killed, for knowing his true identity?

It had all but caused to shut down and shut out new people. Ryan Wolfe had been collateral damage in that, it’s not his fault that he was hired in place of speed, but misery had blinded Luke’s vision.

So when he heard Ryan over the radio, injured and calling for help, it was like Luke was reliving the same thing again, only this time it was Ryan who had taken the fall. He had sent Ryan in his place because his handlers were forcing to meet with Luke, and essentially been the one who placed that nail in Ryan’s eyes.

After Ryan had announced his retirement, deciding to leave and relocated, Luke had quit. He couldn’t do it anymore, let people get killed in his place. So they pulled him out and sent in another agent in his place. This one posing as his sister and infiltrating the team by seducing Horatio. It disgusted Luke, but by that time, he was already miles away, getting ready to return to the army.

He had left a note, asking everyone to not contact him and Eric Delko disappeared in the wind, not a trace of him ever seen again.

Eric had also disappeared in Luke’s mind, vanishing any memories associated with that cover, not until he found himself on a case in D.C. where he meets Ryan Wolfe again.

The one thing he couldn’t wipe away were his feelings for Ryan, or actually, Eric’s feelings for Ryan. Despite keeping the man at an arm’s length, Ryan had wormed his way past the armor Eric had built after Speed’s death. He was endearing, relentless, stubborn, and it slowly chipped away at Eric’s walls. Watching him get wounded was the last straw and Luke had to step away, couldn’t stomach the pain anymore.

In his darkest times, he still remembers Ryan, the way he looked at him, hope and respect shining in his eyes for Eric, still catches his breath. Lonely nights spent going over in his mind, those mesmerizing green eyes, haunting him in his dreams. The nightmares he still gets, years later, of the nail gun incident, of what if Ryan had died then, or what if worst, causing him to toss and turn in bed.

He regrets that the most, Luke thinks. He couldn’t even bring himself to say goodbye to the man. And even after he had left the case, he could have traced Ryan to where ever he was. He was in the FBI, he could have asked a favor and gotten his location. But Luke was a coward, hiding behind excuses in fear of his feelings and so he had put Ryan in a box in his head and never opened it again. Only in the times needed, would he remember Ryan.

Now, Ryan is here, Ryan is here and alive and working the same case as him. Ryan, who is now in D.C., now the head of the crime lab here, and pride curls in his chest at the growth Ryan has had over the years. Ryan is here, shocked and angry at the sight of Luke, even refusing to look at him, talk to him. Ryan, who practically shoves him away, not willing to talk to him at that moment, tossing his contact card before driving away in a fury.

Ryan is offering to meet with him, for him to explain everything that has happened between them. Ryan, who is much older, a beard gracing his face, more confident, much wiser, but still the same man who Luke had set his eyes on years ago, in the hot weather of Miami.

All those feelings he buried deep inside him, burst out and overwhelm him, when his eyes land on Ryan again. This time at a crime scene, miles away from the first time, Ryan as the head of the lab and Eric is now Luke, an FBI agent.

It’s like everything fades away when his eyes meet those haunting green eyes again, it feels like no time has passed. But the startling realization that it has drenches him like cold water when Ryan just pushes past him, only addressing to Matt, pretending like Luke isn’t there.

It hurts watching Ryan walk away again, and he ignores Matt when he rushes after Ryan, hoping for something.

He gets that, but first he has to dial the number and call Ryan.

Luke can do that. He’s not sure if he can do whatever happens afterwards.

//

Ryan finishes scribbling his signature on another vacation slip and places it in the outbox. He flips through the paperwork, thriving in the quiet, as the lab dies down, ready to change hands with the night shift. The only thing that could disrupt the peace is the impending thoughts colliding in his mind, of Eric, or no—his brain reminds him. Agent Alvez, is what Agent Simmons had said when he introduced the two of them to Ryan.

It causes a swirl of confusing thoughts to plow through Ryan’s brain, questions being brought up over the whole thing. Even worse, he finds himself fighting against the choice to call up the old team in Miami, to tell the truth. That Eric is alive, he’s seen him, and that he’s now an FBI agent operating under a different name. But why would he do that? Before Ryan can storm up a fury in the team, he needs to know all the answers. That’s what makes him a good detective and a better CSI, figuring out all the pieces in order to solve the puzzle. He demands an explanation before he can truly understand the full picture.

Though, he doesn’t know how many more reports or forms he can fill, waiting for Eric’s call. W _ait, no, Alvez’s call_ , his brain quietly corrects his thought, and Ryan’s fingernails dig into the palm of his hand, grounding him back to reality, where Eric is not actually Eric.

Thankfully, his thoughts are interrupt by the ringing of his phone and he races to grab it off his table.

“Hello?” He breathes out, nerves beginning to burst in his stomach.

“Hi,” and Eric’s voice flows through the speakers, Ryan calms down a little, hearing the same nerves in him.

But just as quick for the joy to appear at that voice that been haunting him for years, it disappears with the sobering reminder that the situation is different. This isn’t some dream where he finds Eric again and they confess their mutual feelings for each other.

“Meet me at this location in twenty minutes. I’m assuming I’m gonna need a drink for this. I’ll text you an address.” Ryan states and hangs up without hearing the answer. He suddenly feels ten years older than he actually is and shuffles his papers in a tidy stack. Packing up his bag and collecting any files needed to look over, Ryan leaves the office, hopping in his car and getting himself ready for what appears to be a long night.

//

Luke pulls up to the address Ryan had sent him via text message to find a trendy looking bar in front of him. Young adults slip in and out of the establishment, varying from nervous college students supplied with fake ids to bored dressing hipsters with vlog cameras attached to the hip.

He jumps out of the car and wipes his sweaty palms on his shirt. He distracts himself by imagining what Phil would think of this, seeing him all reduced to the nerves of a teenager going out on his first date with an actual girl who’s interested in him. He chuckles to himself as he steps into the place.

It’s dark, dimly lit in order to obtain an intimate vibe and there’s a surprising amount of people gathered, a few small circles and a couple of lone strays hanging by the bar.

Luke’s eyes adjust according and he spots way in the back, Ryan already at a table, a bottle of beer in front of him. He takes in the slump of Ryan’s shoulders, the tension evident in the way he holds the beer bottle, the head tilt to the side, almost like Ryan’s contemplating something hard.

He feels something suspiciously like giddiness well up in him and stomps it down instantly. Luke is not here to discuss his feelings, feelings that might not be returned, he’s here to explain his wellbeing.

With that, he slowly makes his way to the back, where Ryan is, and every step he takes feels heavy, like it’s weighted down by the burden on what he has put Ryan through.

Though Luke is amused when he’s a few steps away and Ryan’s head immediately snaps up to see it. I _t seems like he hasn’t lost those cop skills after all_ , Luke huffs in his mind.

Sliding into the seat opposite of him, Luke orders a beer and another round for Ryan when the waitress swings by their table and he’s left resting his elbows on the surface, giving Ryan his undivided attention.

It does allow for Luke to fully get a good look at Ryan, he didn’t really have the time for that between running after the man and bouncing back from the attack.

He looks…uncertain, cautious, those green eyes he admired from afar cloudy.

While Luke had to keep up his cover as Eric, Luke was different.

Luke was the one who had all the feelings for Ryan, things he had to hold back, keep close to the vest. But getting involved with someone while on the job was dangerous, Speed was a harsh reality of that.

But now, Ryan was gonna meet Luke, not Eric, and it had been years since the assignment had happened.

Ryan interrupts his thoughts by clearing his throat. “So,” he looks away briefly. “Who are you?”

Luke takes a moment to gather this thoughts, because that is truly a complicated question to answer. Who is he? How does he summarize it in a way for Ryan to actually understand and not take offense to?

A lightbulb in his mind suddenly triggers and Luke knows what to do.

“Can we start over?” he asks and Ryan tilts his head, curious. “it might be easier to do this,” Luke explains, somewhat pleading with his eyes.

He gets a confirmative nod and he lets out a deep breath.

“Okay, my name is Luke Alvez and i’m a FBI agent.”

Ryan gives him a look that says, _‘duh, isn’t that obvious?’_ and Luke glares at him.

“Fine,” Ryan gives up, raising his hand in defeat. “Are we really doing this?” And Luke looks at him expectedly. “Okay, what’s your story then?”

Ryan listens patiently as Luke lays out everything in detail, from the process of receiving the assignment, the predicament he found himself with Speed and how his death played out, what he had to do undercover, and the way he acted towards Ryan.

Ryan doesn’t interrupt, letting him talk, nodding and humming in understanding in the right places.

When he finishes, outside the bar, it’s much darker, and they’re on their third round of beers.

Ryan looks thoughtful, the gears running overtime in his head, and Luke holds in a breath, afraid of Ryan’s reaction to all this.

“Let me get this straight,” and Luke sits up straighter.

“You were sent in by the FBI to keep a closer eye on the Mala Noche, using the resources of MDPD?”

Luke nods, allowing Ryan to continue. “Then, you told Speed about your true identity and afterwards, he coincidentally gets killed? And that’s why you acted cold to me?” He raises an eyebrow, not sold on the latter, and he says so as much.

Luke concedes. “Okay, so that’s not the only reason why.”

Running a hand through his hair, he willing confesses. “After Speed’s death, I was scared. If I was to let you, I would have ended up caring about you, and when you would inevitably get hurt or worse, it would have hurt even more.” _Regardless, it didn’t work_ , Luke bitterly adds to himself.

He looks up at Ryan, through his eyelashes. “I thought it would be better just not to get to know you, to save myself from a world of hurt again.”

Ryan sighs. “Okay.”

Luke lifts up his head and looks at Ryan hopefully. “Wait, really?”

At Ryan’s slow nod, Luke laughs nervously. “Honestly, I thought it would be worse than this.”

“Wait, you thought about this?” Ryan raises an eyebrow, green eyes swirling in confusion and, Luke is praying that he’s not imagining things, what looks to be hope.

Luke squeezes his eyes in defeat. A wave of frustration flows over him and he’s growling at himself in his head. God, why did he say that?

Steeling himself, he admits to Ryan, locking eyes with him. “Yes. Yes, I’ve thought about this before.”

In the corner of his eye, Ryan’s shoulders deflate, a series of emotions flitting across his face. shock, confusion, curiosity, and then joy, throwing Luke for a loop. He expected rage, violence, even disbelief. Why is there joy on Ryan’s face? What does that mean?

There’s a shuffle, and then Ryan’s resting his hand on Luke’s arm, his face shifting closer to him.

Luke freezes, stays still, holding back a breath as he waits.

“When Eric— when you disappeared, the one thing I regretted the most was not telling you. I thought I had lost my chance, even though I wasn’t even sure you’d be open to it, to have felt the same way.” Luke’s eyes are wide, his mind struggling to comprehend those words, unclear about whether Ryan was saying what he thought he was saying.

Ryan continues on. “But then I saw you, and regardless of my reservations, I need to tell you.”

He looks in Luke’s eyes and admits, “I’m in love with you.” It takes Luke’s breath away and the way he says it, like it’s a fact, like he’s accepted this fate, is enough to convince Luke that it’s true.

The problem is, Ryan is in love with Eric, and Luke is not Eric. He doesn’t want to be with Ryan as anyone other than himself.

Luke shifts in his seat, sliding Ryan’s hand until it lines up with him and links them together. Squeezing tightly, his eyes trail up from their interlocking hands to Ryan’s face.

A sad smile grazes Luke’s face when he replies. “I’m in love with you too.”

The sheer happiness reflecting on Ryan’s face, beaming like he’s the goddamn sun, makes Luke feel like he’s floating in the clouds.

But it fades when he remembers that Ryan only knows Eric, but he doesn’t know Luke.

“But there’s something I need to say too.” He pushes through, his other hand coming up to cup Ryan’s face. His eyes flutter close, trembling at the action, and fondness flutters in his chest.

“You’re in love with Eric, because you only know me as Eric. But I’m not Eric.”

Ryan opens his eyes and frowns. It’s causing Luke to become distracted, thoughts wandering to pressing his lips against Ryan’s until he’s smiling again. “You’re right, but we can fix that.”

Determination lines Ryan’s voice and Luke reluctantly pulls away, curiosity eating at his core. “How?”

This time, Ryan is all smiles, mystery lingering in his face and Luke is slowly losing control over his desire to kiss this man.

“Let me fall in love with Luke Alvez.”

When they part for the night, it’s hell for Luke, but he’s got a standing lunch date with Ryan the next day, if he’s able to pull away from work. There’s a lot they still need to discuss, but for now, Luke pulls Ryan flush against him and they meet halfway, to kiss.

Years of pent up frustrated pining and lost feelings finally ease when their lips meet, and it’s everything they both imagined and more.

Despite all the odds, Luke and Ryan found each other.


End file.
